Heaven Hill Bottled In Bond 7 Year

I got this bottle at Total Wine, where a fifth cost me $42.99. As a bottled in bond whisky it's 100 proof, and is a dark copper color in the glass. It's 7 years old, with a mash bill of 78% corn, 12% rye, and 10% barley. NOSE: When I nosed the whisky I got smoke right off - it reminded me of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof in that one respect. Next came caramel, butter, brown sugar, and the pleasant smell of the lumber from an old barn. MOUTHFEEL: Smooth, and slightly thin. TASTE: The first note was brown sugar, though cinnamon was nearly there, rushing in second. Then I got honey butter, powdered sugar, red pepper, and a hint of artificial lemon. FINISH: The finish is medium in length, and begins with a little mint, then brings in cinnamon, and ends with chocolatey oak. SUMMARY: I think a better price would be a couple of dollars lower, or perhaps a higher proof would bring the quality up to what I paid. But a couple of dollars is not a lot of money, and so this is going to be just a quibble. This is good bourbon. I'm glad I bought it, and while it's not certain, I just may buy it again. RATING: On my hick scale, which has 1 at the bottom and 8 at the top, this comes in at 7 Fine. This is the same as 4.375 stars, 87.5/100, or 8.75/10.

The aroma is sugary sweet like tree sap, with a mild smoky spice reminiscent of hickory. Green, herbal, and subtle floral notes emerge, as well as fruit in the form of cherry menthol cough drops. Keep digging and eventually you’ll find vanilla, milk chocolate, and cigar papers. Spicy sweet to taste, with black pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, mint, and apple. The body is thick with a weighty mouthfeel but not too heavy, not syrupy but more oily. Legs appear sporadically and unevenly, yet render nice teardrops that fall quickly as they collide with the upwards retreating coat inside the glass. What remains is a lovely pattern of drops like leopards’ spots. The finish is initially mild, woody and smoky, with black tea tannins plus the aftertaste of cherry licorice and cinnamon candy. As it lingers on, the wood oils intensify becoming slightly acrid, and a final note of tobacco is detected. Aroma: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 9 Finish: 7

Nose: The fist thing on the nose is a leathery vanilla oak note the is really stong. There is very little alcohol coming off the nose so dont be afraid to dig a bit deeper. As it opens up the sweetness comes through. Palate: Quite sweet with a lot of vanilla and caramel with baking spices all up front. Reminiscent of the holidays. The whiskey is mouth watering and very smooth. The alcohol burn is mild and the spices really come through at the end. Mouth feel: Velvety, Buttery, mouth watering although slightly drying. Finish: is Fairly short with a lingerng baking spice and oak.

I decided to purchase the bourbon/whiskey advent calendar from Flaviar this year to add some excitement to the holiday season. So I'll be quite active on Distiller this month lol! Day 1: To start things off, the aroma had some prominent vanilla and oak to it. Moving on to the taste was a similar experience aside from some lighter notes of caramel, cinnamon, grain, and honeyed sweetness. The onset was somewhat spicy and persisted to the finish. I wish this was smoother and less linear. Either way this wasn't a bad start. Looking forward to the days ahead.

Nose: cherry, vanilla frosting, brown sugar, maple Taste: reflects the nose with slight peanut and tea notes on the finish Is this life changing whiskey? No. Is it a great sipper and mixer? Yes. I'd place it a step up from typical mixing whiskey. Its not anything super bold or complex like certain barrel proof bourbons. I actually find that refreshing. I don't have to overthink it or analyze it deeply. It presents with lighter sweet notes without being overly sweet. I've seen the price vary but it's a value whiskey at $50 or below.

This bottle is very spicy prevalent with some vanilla and sugar sweetness. The mix of heavy spices and sweetness brings the heat to the palate with an intensity that makes it unpleasant. After some water, the heat went down to the cinnammon taste, but the nose was still too strong on alcohool and spices. Its big with nutmeg and pepper and it lacks balance. I’m I didn’t buy this one.